Do
you have statistics on the number
of teenagers raped or sexually
assaulted each year? Are there
any programs that provide shelter/homes
to teenage girls or women who
are raped? Thank you for taking
the time to answer my questions.
I appreciate it very much and
also appreciate what you are
doing for women who are victims
of these horrible crimes.

Thanks
for your note to FEMINIST.COM.
There are a variety of statistics
on the number of sexually assaults
that occur each year and throughout
life. The most accurate statistics,
though described as "conservative"
by some people who actually
work with people who have been
sexually abuse, come from the
federal government: The FBI,
the CIA, and the Department
of Justice (the division
on violence against women.)

In
general, one in four girls and
one in seven boys are sexually
assaulted before they reach
the age of 18. Rape statistics
are harder to come by, mostly
because rape itself is hard
to define--for instance, it
doesn't take into account the
act itself as much as it does
the perpetrator--i.e. if it's
a relative or a friend it's
not rape. So, sexual assault
is perhaps more accurate.

As for rape statistics you can
inquire at the above mentioned
agencies and/to go to the V-Day
site. The site lists several
statistics as well as organizations
working on this issue. Most
recently I heard that every
2 seconds a women is raped somewhere
in the world.

As for your second question
about shelter/housing for teenage
girls who are raped, I think
the closest there is are rape
crisis centers, which house
women/girls for short periods
of time. Also, some shelters
for battered women, might include
rape in their definition of
battery, and, therefore, might
provide shelter to them. Also,
the
V-Day site, which I mentioned
above, includes a list of organizations
working specifically on rape.
They should be able to give
you more information.